Last Sunday, Jake pointed out a series of short films from Honda and this one started playing when I got to the site. Failing fast is an idea that has been around for a long time, but never hurts being reminded of. Especially when it comes to the digital realm of marketing.
It was a major theme of the keynote from the DEEPSPACE session we hosted on mobile last fall. Chuck Levine's point was that the sooner you try different mobile strategies and tactics, the sooner you can figure out how to do it right. If your competitors aren't doing it, then this gives you a serious leg up on them.
As I shared in Age of Conversation 2, we all need to step forward and take more risks where new technologies and ways of communicating are involved. With the current economic climate, taking risks, no matter how small, can be difficult to do. We can't let that stop us though.
In reality, I think there's no better time than the present to try something different. Clearly what everyone has been doing hasn't worked out so well and the world has never been more open to and ready for change – especially here in the States with Obama taking office this week.
Anyway, just a good reminder and if nothing else, a little pep-talk to myself in the early weeks of 2009...
Amen to trying something different. Now is the time- but when was it ever not the time?
Yesterday I heard about Hyundai's new initiative yesterday allowing new buyers to return their car if they lose their job in the next year. I've never heard of a car company (or anyone else for that matter) offering something like that. Hyundai is really taking some big risks here, especially in this economy, but I am convinced this will work for them.
Posted by: Liz | 28 January 2009 at 11:52 AM
yes!
short story:
- we have to do this.
- but nobody is into that and we don´t know how to do it.
- good. we have to do it now. fail now. so when everybody is into it, we are ready to do it well.
:end of short story.
now, go train. try. and fail.
cheers!
Posted by: facu | 28 January 2009 at 01:22 PM
here's a risk-taking challenge to agency folks: cutback on unnecessary T&E costs on production shoots. if our clients are cutting heads and cutting back on their ad budgets, i say run your production lean & mean, and make every dollar work hard to make your idea better vs getting you into a cushy hotel at the 4 seasons and sushi dinners. use that money to try riskier ideas that may or may not cost more to execute. i'm sure we can all find ways to get by, staying at a 4points sheraton and eat subway for dinner ;)
Posted by: Nguyen Duong | 28 January 2009 at 01:54 PM